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Five ponies, a gazebo, and a rain shower: There should be a joke here, but instead it's just five mare friends having to take shelter somewhere in the middle of an afternoon shower, and trying to make the best of it. ·shortskirtsandexplosions

A letter from Celestia interrupts one of Pinkie's parties with disturbing news. Now friendships will be pushed to the limit as Twilight struggles to uncover which of her friends is not who, or even what, she appears to be.

First off, I need to thank my beta-readers/proofers/all around awesome ponies. Cloudy Skies, Couch Crusader, and Benman. All three of them helped a lot with this fic. TAW, and Tchernobog gave me initial feedback which helped boost my ego and assure me this was good and on track.

So this is what A Canterlot Wedding put into my head. Almost immediately after seeing the final episode, I began to blab about this idea. I was currently at the tail end of Twilight's List and was publishing. So I made a quick note

>One of the mane six is a changeling. It doesn't matter who.

And resolved to come back to it later. After finishing Twilight's List, I took a few weeks off from writing and did some art. Then I dove into this fic. It was brutal.

I've talked about writing List before and how getting everything in character took a while. This was an order of magnitude harder. It was insanely difficult to make sure I didn't confirm or deny any of Twilight's friends as the changeling. That was key. This isn't a mystery, thought it does resemble one. It's not "shipping" in the sense most people use it, though it deals with themes of love and also has PinkieDash 'cause I'm a whore. It's not dark, although given the same premise and even end result, it would be easy to do. It can't even be an episode, PinkieDash aside, but still tries to be like one. I'm not even sure how one would begin to do the end of the fic in a visual medium without identifying the pony.

A perfect word to describe this fic is platonic. Despite the shipped couple, this fic is about non-sexual love between friends that is almost deeper than the romantic love we get so much of. I hope I hit that mark with this; my beta readers seem to think so.

Oh, I'd love fanart of this. Seriously. I'm excessively curious to see how someone else represents the important bits of this story w/o identifying one of the ponies.

So, stylistically...

I ended up mixing 3rd limited and 3rd omniscient. All of the changeling's parts are done in 3rd limited, as are many of Twilight's parts, but that's too close for everyone else. Get too into their head and you can easily see that they aren't (or are) the changeling. Or that the author is just censoring things too much. I'm not used to 3rd omni. So that was another thing that slowed me down.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on who it is and why and what you think happens next. It would be great to hear. You can totally comment, private message, or even email me if you want. (Email in Profile) Thanks for reading!

Anyway. Next up is another break. I'm going to draw and make fanart for people I'm meeting at Canterlot Gardens. Then I begin on Twilight's List's sequel. It's going to be a long adventure fic. I still hope to focus on shipping as the main theme, but I've got some interesting co-themes.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Possible Spoilers in Comments!

Edit #3:

Magic Color -- This has been dealt with in the comments. If you're going to comment about "green magic" read this first:

2: The color of magic is a 4th wall effect. Ponies can't see it. Given how no one saw through Chrysalis's disguise, and how Twi and Celestia have had their color change, and how Pinkie couldn't identify that Rarity rolled the shades down in MMMMystery, this is the best theory, IMO.

Amazing. The ending is one of those things where you can tell what it has to be long before it happens, but the way the story keeps the tension up by veering away from that ending before getting back on track is lovely. There were a couple of spots where I was genuinely afraid it would go a different way. Then when it finally happens... I thought the climax was powerful, but that coda was something else entirely.

I never read sad or dark. What this fic does for me, is distil the emotive energy darker fics use, and wrap it into something palatable. This has all the good heartache of melancholy without being painful. It has all the hugs at the end of the darkness without needing to turn off the lights.

It's a concept that I was (and to some degree still am) wary of, but made into something beautiful, a catapult loaded with battering rams tipped with friendship. I don't know if I can make myself read this again, but I am glad I read it, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves. (Hint: All of it.)

>>11820621182062 Yeah, but you'd think that after that they would noticed the green thing now, especially since even the changelings that morphed into the mane six, even their magic was green. It was forgivable when Chrysalis did it because we didn't know it wasn't Cadences' aura color.

So, because she's been in disguised for years, it would be harder for the changeling to get changed back? Sure, whatever you need for this premise, I guess (wouldn't that mean the the changeling herself would have trouble? She didn't seem to when she changed back to "normal". But maybe I missed something.). Twilight's blast didn't seem like it was that powerful to begin with, and the cast has suffered far worse. Twilight herself got trampled by an anvil and a piano, and was walking a few scenes later.

But still, this is a good heartwarming story.

Wait, why didn't Shining's bubble spell repel the changeling in the group in the first place, and why can't... you know what? Forget it. I'm over thinking this.

Same reason it didn't repel everyone else. You'll remember that the barrier had to be lowered to let the 6 in in the first place. The second one had to be a different spell. I could not find a non-awkward way to work it into conversation, especially since no one wanted to talk about it much. The changeling was never an enemy, so the second spell never affected her.

Well, supposing the changeling only started impersonating a pony after arriving at Ponyville it can't be Rainbow Dash, as she was the reason Gilda visited the town in the first place. And the fact that there was a Sonic Rainboom from the real Dash that all other 5 mares remember. Also I doubt the way her mane and tails shifts during a Rainboom would work well if she was wearing a disguise...

Rarity shouldn't be either, while the not green magic may not be conclusive evidence there is also the whole falling to her death during the young fliers competition, even if it was only surviving instincts kicking for just a moment and not a conscious effort she would have dropped her cover to safe herself. Also the spell that gave her wings may not have worked on her if she was a changeling as she already had wings...

Applejack could be one, even if there was a original, she could have taken her place on Ponyville while the true one is living on Manehatten.

As stated by Dash Pinkie Pie is the more likely choice considering it required little mind manipulation.

And finally it could be Fluttershy, it may be a bit of a stretch but if we consider that casting the cloud walking spell on someone who already can, it could mean it would be either her or Dash, and Dash is one of the less likely suspects. Then again I doubt the spell really checks if it would do something.

As I said just over-thinking until I reached this point. It could be anyone really, but to me the the more likely suspects are Fluttershy and Pinkie, the less Rarity and Dash, and Applejack stays in the middle.

>>11826311182631 Wait, so there's a chance that the changeling killed one of the main six beforehand to take her place? Yeah, I think that if that would've been a possibility here, Twilight should've used her spell without hesitation and screw the "this might hurt her" crap, because the changeling would've committed murder of a filly. But, I'm going to assume that it was a changeling the whole time -- I know it sounds stupid --, because the alternative is really evil, no matter what the excuse.

1) Who said she started impersonations in Ponyville? She very well could have gone to Cloudsdale first and then Ponyville. The letter says she was tracked to Ponyville. The changeling thinks about intergrating herself into pony society.

As for the rainboom, that is a weirder one. Considering it's a unique (but somehow also legendary?) event, it's hard to say if it's a rainbow because Rainbow Dash or because magical things in Equestria seem to be rainbowed (EoH, Zap Apples, Love Poison).

2) Play a role long enough and you become it. She doesn't like reminding herself she's not a "real" pony. As for the magic color, I figure that's what happens when they don't give a flying feather about blending. It would be impossible to pull of an impersonation of a unicorn for any length of time if they couldn't a) color it right, or b) the color is "4th wall" only. I personally lean towards 1).

I would go with what's cutest. In that case, it's Pinkie or Dash. Pinkie, because cloud cuddles, Dash, because Pinkie would bug her to be a Pinkie clone and she'd eventually give in for a bit but keep that Dash!Annoyed expression

Well. The alt is right out. Remember, she's still an Element of Harmony. Nothing about who she is has changed. So if you can't see $pony murdering a filly, then neither did the changeling. I kinda hoped the monologues would get that point across.

The only way a "replacement" would work is if filly!AJ stayed in Manehatten or if filly!Rarity actually got dragged somewhere else. IN both cases, they'd have had to encounter the changeling and swap places.

Quick run down:

Aj, Rarity -> requires magicking family to integrate

Dash, Fluttershy -> magic to get into flight school (assuming Flutters/Dash never met her parents. See above)

Pinkie -> doesn't require much of anything. We know nothing about her past and no one has ever vouched for her.

I am curious... did you have one of the mane six in mind to have been the changeling, or was it always unrevealed, even in your own head as you wrote it? I really am pleased that you kept it hidden from the reader even at the end. That was very effective in reaffirming the message of the story--it doesn't matter who it was, because they're still friends no matter what.

While this is not the first story I've read with the premise, "one of the Elements has always been a changeling," this is by far the best of them. You say it took a lot of work to nail the characterization, and that work shows. The fact that on more than one occasion you could go for ten lines of dialogue without any tags and it was still perfectly clear who was saying what is a fair testament to that effort. Your pacing was incredible. This story consisted of the scenes required to make it work, no more and no less. This was a trim, efficient, and powerful exploration of the strength of the bonds between friends, and the value those bonds have to them.

>>11826891182689 Wait, when did I suggest murder? I only suggested an original Applejack living on Manehatten, with the oranges, while there is a changeling Applejack on Ponyville I didn't suggest taking the place of one of the mane 6.

>>11827461182746 I said supposing for a reason, it could have been earlier, I just tried to look for ways to reduce the possibilities.

Actually for a while I considered possible that everyone was actually a changeling, it wouldn't surprise me if Twilight was one. Also if you check Celestia's and Luna's conversation at the end it could be possible for them to be Changelings, and also... You know what, I'll just stop thinking about it before I start asking myself if I'm a changeling.

As it's told in the story, the one who is the Changeling have had to create her own cutie mark. Therefore, she told a fake story about how she gets her cutie mark. Since RD and Fluttershy get their Cutie Mark in the same time and at the same place they can confirm each others stories. So, it remains AJ, Pinkie and Rarity.

I don't think AJ faked her story because his family can easily confirm if she left or not her home with the Oranges in Manehattan with a blank flank and returned later with his cutie mark. Besides, the changleing said she chose it and in being Applejack she wouldn't have the choice other than an apple for her cutie mark. And Pinkie's story is too weird for having been invented.

tell meeeeee who the changeling is or i will never get too sleep and that would be

THE WORST POSSIBLE THING

tell meh i must know overthinking makes my brain burn into ashes and then he ashes burn into dust and the dust burns into molecules and the molecules burn into NOTHING pwease just tell meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

The whole point is it doesn't matter who it is, it changes nothing about what each of them mean to each other. You shouldn't be able to "figure it out" from the story as it's purposefully written to preclude that. The only thing you know is that it's not Twilight.

>>11832541183254 damn you and logic with you now im off to explooooooode and ill have plenty of time to think about this (yes this is a reference) ON THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON

The only other story I've read that covers a topic like this is The Three Sisters, and both it and this are brilliant stories. There are one or two plotholes that have already been pointed out, but they're so small and so easy to correct that it probably wasn't worth mentioning anyways. Twilight's List has been feeling a bit lonely on my Favorites List lately, but I'm sure this new addition will make it feel more welcome!

Three Sisters is D's, right? I haven't read it yet. Since my twins were born, my reading slowed to a crawl. I joined fimfic the day it opened. I hit 5.5 million words on fimfic alone by the time my kids were born. I was just over 6 when knighty killed the counter. So 5.5 million in 48 weeks and then only .5 in the next 12. Which is around a 66% drop in read speed. Most of whta I read now-a-days is clop for my contests I run. So yeah, I've missed some stuff.

Oh, yes. It's not so much Trolling as a gambit. She trusted Twilight and the others enough to let them grow closer and solve this themselves. Much like the end of Lesson Zero. But she also brought Luna along in case shit got real.

This is the best one of these things that I've read, I think. Very nice! Keeping the true identity of the Changeling secret from the reader was a very nice touch. I guessed that it would never be revealed early on, but you went so gut-wrenchingly close to it with Twilight's spell and then the flash of green as the Changeling re-disguised just out of view that I was still on the edge of my seat the whole time. :)

I'm suffering from a light concussion at the moment, so I apologize if my thoughts are a little jumbled. But here's what I have to say on who I think it is:

First off, it can't be Twilight. That much has been made clear.

Second, a quote from the changeling's thoughts. Now, I may be thinking way too literally here, but I feel like this line holds some importance:

Oh, none of her friends suspected her, at least none gave voice or had acted differently around her, but she had failed, still.

If this quote can be taken the way I am interpreting it, then I believe this means we can cross both Pinkie and Applejack off the list. This is because both of these two have been directly accused at some point at this time in the narrative (Pinkie by Dash and Applejack by most everypony). Again, I could be taking this sentence way too literally, but it's just a thought.

That leaves three ponies... Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

Why it could be Rarity:

"That ghastly comment you made last night had me fretting for hours, you know."

Rarity doesn't specify what she is fretting about, though. It has been made clear that the Changeling is very scared about the possibility of being found out by her friends, and this supports that fact. Also, when Rarity talks about the changeling dressing themselves up ("Somepony like me?") she is defending the changeling's actions in a way.

Another thing... she doesn't live with her parents, and Sweetie Belle doesn't stay with her all the time. Is this just because, or could she have magicked them into staying away?

Why it could be Rainbow Dash:

Rainbow Dash, as we all know, is the Element of Loyalty, meaning she cares about her friends arguably more than any other pony in the group. And, as we have seen, the changeling values the friendship they share with the other five more than anything else. We don't know exactly how long the changeling has been in Ponyville, so it could very well be from the beginning of the show's canon that we've been seeing a changeling. The changeling's love for its friends could have very well manifested itself well enough that "Rainbow Dash" was given the Element of Loyalty.

Also:

"No," Dash spat as her wings flared. Pinkie place a hoof gently on Dash's withers, which the pegasus shrugged off without looking. "I refuse to believe it." Dash's eyes flashed and her voice took on a hard edge. "It's just a trick!"

This could be classic Dash refusing to believe that her friends would deceive her... or, it could simply be that the changeling is trying their best to convince their friends that it's a trick so that their disguise might remain intact. We also don't know much about Dash's past, so that leaves open a lot.

And now, to finish things off...

Why it IS Fluttershy:

Hoo boy. Just like Rainbow Dash, we don't know a lot about Fluttershy's past, so it's hard to play the family card as evidence against them being the changeling. But, what we do know about Fluttershy's past is that she's always had a tough time flying. And, as you pointed out yourself:

Who said she started impersonations in Ponyville? She very well could have gone to Cloudsdale first and then Ponyville.

If Fluttershy went to Cloudsdale first, then her flying problem could have been part of her being a changeling. Do changelings mature at different rates than ponies? We don't know. Therefore, a changeling that is the same age as a pegasus might not necessarily have the ability to fly at an early age, like the other pegasi in Cloudsdale did.

Also... the way the changeling acts just screams Fluttershy to me. All the worrying in the thoughts, the stammering near the end of the story, all the bits at the beginning with Twilight... it just fits for me. I can't find a way to describe it past that.

Gah. I feel like I have more points to support Flutterchangeling, but I seem to have forgotten them. I'll post them if I remember, along with any other stuff I forget. All that aside, this really was a joy to read, kits. 17k words never went so fast for me.

Now, a question for you: is there a right answer at all?

(one last thing... I had an idea somewhat similar to this that I've been mulling over for quite a long time. Maybe I'll post it someday, but if not, then I'll be happy to know that someone at least carried out the general concept and mystery style of one of the mane six being a changeling so well).

To be fair, Applejack's accusations were in jest mostly. Along with Dash's "everyone is the changeling".

>Now, a question for you: is there a right answer at all

Absolutely. Now if you ask if I know, the answer is no. Every time I started thinking "it's $pony" I had to stop writing. The only thing I couldn't do was confirm (through thoughts) that it couldn't be $pony.

>Fluttershy

I have had people swear it was Pinkie. I had people say "she's too obvious" and I've had people swear it was Dash. You're the first Fluttershy person so far. I'm fairly certain that a good backstory can be written for any of them, much like one can write a convincing ship fic for any two ponies given enough time and effort.

I actually considered having 5 more chapters: one for each pony as a pre- and post-quel. But that means doing two very similar stories for Rarity and Applejack and Fluttershy and Dash. I may do some random side stories to this, I have a cavity causing Rainbow ending idea, but it would probably be as a separate story, as confirming it kills the 'message' I was going for.

Picking who the changeling is, is like picking who's the best mare for Dash to kiss.

Oh, no. I honestly didn't care about the wedding ep. The deep seated reason is that she wasn't an enemy. Everything else stems from that. If you really want to bitch about magic color, Twilight changed hers (so did Celestia).

He makes good points, but the thing about this fic is, it's my 'pretentious' fic. I get to play the "missing the point" card if I want. If the lack of stated reasons for things is an issue, then you're missing the point.

I know this isn't perfect. I wanted to make it more, but it took 4 months to get 17k. God knows how long the full-length novel version would have taken.